From 1978 to 1991 Charles L. Grant edited a series of anthologies titled Shadows, published by Doubleday, followed by a number from 1 to 11. The first volume in the series won the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology. There was also a Best of Shadows anthology published in 1988. I found most of the stories in the Shadows series dealt with psychological suspense for the most part. Yes, there was some violence in some of these stories, but it was more of the toned-down variety.
My favorite stories in Shadows 4 (1981) are Tanith Lee’s “Meow” and “The Spider Glass” by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. I had already read “Meow” when I reviewed a short story collection by Tanith Lee last year (you can read my review here). “Meow” features a moody magician who engages in a torrid affair with a beautiful young woman who loves cats.
“The Spider Glass” is one of those discursive stories where you don’t really know where the plot is heading. Over brandy, Charles Whittenfield tells his dinner guests a weird story of an antique Venetian mirror and a woman who encounters Yarbro’s popular vampire protagonist, le Comte de Saint-Germain!
This type of anthology is rarely published today. Charles L. Grant not only selected the stories for these volumes, he wrote insightful essays to engage the reader and wonderful introductions to the stories. I recommend the books in series if you can find them. GRADE: B
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Introduction – (1981) – essay by Charles L. Grant — vii
- The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands – (1981) – short story by Stephen King — 1
- Yours, -Guy – (1981) – short story by Robert F. Young — 18
- The Belonging Kind – (1981) – short story by John Shirley and William Gibson — 27
- Calling Collect – (1981) – short story by Barry N. Malzberg and Arthur L. Samuels — 39
- Hearing Is Believing – (1981) – short story by Ramsey Campbell — 46
- Threshold – (1981) – short story by Deirdre L. Kugelmeyer — 55
- A Visit to Brighton – (1981) – short story by Alan Ryan — 58
- Echoes From a Darkened Shore – (1981) – short story by Cherie Wilkerson — 68
- The Blue Chair – (1981) – short story by Tabitha King — 80
- Meow – (1981) – short story by Tanith Lee — 95
- The Giveaway – (1981) – short story by Steve Rasnic Tem — 106
- Need – (1981) – short story by Lisa Tuttle — 111
- Waiting for the Knight – (1981) – short story by Beverly Evans — 122
- Under My Bed – (1981) – short story by Al Sarrantonio — 129
- The Hour of Silhouette – (1981) – short story by Juleen Brantingham — 133
- Snow, Cobwebs, and Dust – (1981) – short story by John Keefauver — 142
- The Spider Glass – (1981) – novelette by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro — 145
Grant was, and is, one of my favorite writers. That he was as good an anthologist as he was a writer was a remarkable boon to the genre in the 70s and 80s. His advocacy for “quiet horror” still has echoes today. His books — particularly the Oxrun Station series — and his anthologies deserve reprinting from an enterprising publisher. I believe there would be a ready audience for them.
Jerry, you’re right about the “quiet horror” description of Grant’s work. That’s also reflected in Grant’s SHADOWS series. I hope to read more of the Oxrun Station books and more SHADOWS in the months ahead.
Good choice. I know I’ve read at least one of these anthologies and this makes me want to read more.
Jeff, I picked up copies of SHADOWS whenever I came across them. Time to read them and post reviews to the blog!
You and me both, George. SHADOWS was one of the key anthology series of its decade+, along with the WHISPERS book series and not a few others. I’ve recently liberated my collection of the volumes from storage boxes, and have them stacked up…hence my more-index-driven post on THE BEST OF and the PARTISAN REVIEW fiction retrospective the other week.
Todd, I’m glad you’ve liberated those wonderful books and magazines! Sadly I’m in the process of finding new homes for some of my books. It’s hard to let Good Books go, but if they’re going to someone who will love them as much as I did, it makes the process easier.